Gravesham council and Kent Police seize more than 40 e-bikes and e-scooters in borough crackdown

Gravesham Borough Council says more than 40 nuisance e-bikes and e-scooters have been seized and over 20 already crushed since new enforcement powers came into force at the start of July, with nine £100 fines issued and further action planned.

Riders and households storing off-road bikes in Gravesham now face a real risk of losing their vehicles for good. The council announced this week that it has seized more than 40 e-bikes and e-scooters since combining a borough-wide Public Space Protection Order — a legal designation that bans specific behaviour across a defined area — with section 59 powers under the Police Reform Act 2002, which allow police to seize vehicles used in a manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance.

More than 20 of those vehicles have already been crushed. Nine riders have each received a £100 fixed penalty notice, and a Community Protection Warning — a formal legal notice that puts a person or property on record for linked nuisance — has been served on a property used to store off-road bikes connected to complaints.

What the council says it is trying to fix

According to Gravesham Borough Council, anti-social riding on e-bikes and e-scooters has been causing nuisance, alarm and distress to residents across the borough. The council says the combination of seizures, crushing and fines is designed to create visible deterrence and reduce repeat offending in identified hotspots. Kent Police carried out four dedicated enforcement days targeting those areas, with more planned.

It’s worth being clear on the law here. Most privately owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on public roads, pavements and cycle lanes in England unless they are part of an authorised rental trial. E-bikes are legal only if they meet strict pedal-cycle rules — modified versions that function as motor vehicles are not.

The concerns critics and residents may raise

The council’s announcement does not include quotes from opponents, but the approach is not without questions. Confiscating and crushing vehicles — some of which may belong to young people or those using them as cheap transport — raises issues of proportionality that are likely to draw scrutiny. There is also no guarantee enforcement simply moves the problem: riders displaced from known hotspots may shift to other streets or times, rather than stop altogether.

Whether the crackdown addresses the underlying reasons people ride unlawfully in the first place is a question the council has not yet answered publicly.

Engagement alongside enforcement

The council says it is not relying on enforcement alone. Its Community Safety Unit is running awareness and engagement events, and is considering route changes, additional CCTV and physical barriers to deter nuisance riding in persistent problem areas. So residents in affected neighbourhoods may see more than just police activity — signage, consultations and physical changes to routes could follow.

What this means if you own an e-scooter or e-bike

The message from Gravesham Borough Council is direct: riding an illegal e-scooter on a public road or pavement, or using a modified e-bike in breach of road traffic or anti-social behaviour laws, now risks seizure and permanent loss of the vehicle.

Residents storing off-road bikes at a property linked to complaints should be aware that a Community Protection Warning can be the first step towards further legal action against that address.

Key information

• Seized so far: more than 40 e-bikes and e-scooters borough-wide since early July
• Already crushed: more than 20 vehicles
• Fines issued: nine fixed penalty notices at £100 each
• More enforcement days are planned by Kent Police across Gravesham hotspots — residents can report nuisance riding to Gravesham Borough Council’s Community Safety Unit